Taiwan-France relations warm amid Chinese diplomatic pressure

Taiwan-France relations warm amid Chinese diplomatic pressure

2024-10-25

Taiwan-France relations have taken a significant step forward, says Deputy Foreign Minister François Wu. Wu was speaking on the sidelines of a “European Week” promotion from a retailer in New Taipei, where he had been invited as a guest. Symbolizing the new closeness was former President Tsai Ing-wen’s recent visit to France. In the past, Taiwanese considered it difficult for former Taiwanese leaders to visit European countries owing to Chinese diplomatic pressure. Wu said it was particularly meaningful that the French government gave Tsai’s tour the green light.

A European Week promotion has begun at a retailer in New Taipei. The invited guests included the French de facto Ambassador Franck Paris and Deputy Foreign Minister François Wu, who previously had served as Taiwan’s de facto ambassador in France.

François Wu
Deputy foreign minister
I had been an ambassador in France for more than six years. Over these past six years, relations between Taiwan, France and Europe have improved significantly. Of course, we made a lot of European friends.

In addition to making friends through wine and food businesses, exchanges between Taiwan and France have also expanded from business and economics to culture and technology.

Franck Paris
French Office in Taipei director
We have already very important connections regarding culture. We are moving more and more towards more scientific cooperation between France and Taiwan. And also lately more economic connections

Warming relations between Taiwan and France are not just empty talk. The second stop of former President Tsai Ing-wen’s tour of Europe was France.

Tsai visited the Louvre Museum and the French Senate. Her groundbreaking visit proved that bilateral relations had reached a new milestone. François Wu, who helped to organize the visit behind the scenes, said he had been preparing for this moment for a long time.

François Wu
Deputy foreign minister
You need to understand that this was not an easy matter. As this year was the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between France and China, Xi Jinping had just been in France this year, so for France to make this kind of political decision shows that France is now very much looking forward to developing all kinds of relationships with Taiwan.

Even if China exerts more pressure, the trend for France to support Taiwan is likely to continue, showing that more and more democracies are willing to stand with Taiwan.

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台法關係升溫! 蔡英文出訪開綠燈外交部次長:不容易

2024-10-25

零售業者"歐洲周"活動開跑，外交部次長吳志中受邀當座上賓，他開心表示，當了六年的駐法代表，看到台灣和法國關係更進一步。尤其日前前總統蔡英文的訪法行，吳志中坦言相當不簡單，在中國和法國建交60周年之際，法國政府仍為小英開綠燈，別具意義。

零售業者"歐洲周"開跑，包括法國在台協會主任，甚至當過駐法代表的外交部次長吳志中都是座上賓。

[[外交部次長吳志中]]
“我在法國當6年多的大使，那這6年來，台灣跟法國跟歐洲有非常顯著的關係改善，當然我們交了非常多的歐洲朋友。”

除了美酒和美食能交朋友，台灣和法國的交流，更從商業經濟，擴及到文化科技。

[[法國在台協會主任 Franck Paris]]
“我們在文化已經有很重要的連結。我們正在進行更多的科學合作，還有更多的經濟關係。”

台法關係持續升溫，"台法友好"可不是說說而已，看看前總統蔡英文歐洲行的第二站就到法國。

參訪羅浮宮，還到法國參議院，小英這趟訪法行，證明雙方關係，邁向新里程碑，作為幕後推手的吳志中坦言，為了這一刻準備很久。

[[外交部次長吳志中]]
“要了解這並不是一件容易的事情，因為法中建交60周年紀念，今年習近平剛來到法國，所以法國可以做這樣的政治決定，裡面也表現出說，法國現在非常期待，跟台灣發展各式各樣的一個關係。”

即便中國施壓，法國挺台趨勢無法擋，也顯示願意和台灣站在一起的民主夥伴，越來越多。

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On the People’s Republic of China’s misinterpretation of the United Nations Resolution 2758 and its continued military provocations around Taiwan.

The latest session of the European Parliament passed a resolution supporting Taiwan with an overwhelming majority of 432 votes in favor and only 60 votes against. The resolution strongly rejects China’s attempts to distort UN Resolution 2758 so that Taiwan is forcibly “represented” by Beijing. It also calls on EU member states to support Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations, such as the WHO, and condemns China’s continued military provocations against Taiwan. It is the clearest stance the EU has taken on the historic UN resolution so far.

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